The Reading / Listening - Ecology - Level 0

Plants are growing on the far side of the moon. China's space agency showed photos of cotton seeds growing. It is part of a "moon surface micro-ecological circle". Cotton and potatoes are growing. They are both small and strong. They could grow in the difficult conditions on the moon.

Researchers want to understand how plants grow in space. His team is looking at our future survival in space. They could start a space base. Fruit flies and yeast are part of the project. The plants will make oxygen and food for the fruit flies; the yeast could change the dead plants into more food.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Ecology - Level 1,  Ecology - Level 2   or  Ecology - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2182111/chinese-lunar-landers-cotton-seeds-lead-way-plant-life-germinates
  • https://www.newscientist.com/article/2190704-first-moon-plants-sprout-in-chinas-change-4-biosphere-experiment/
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-46873526


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. Plants are growing on
  2. space
  3. photos of cotton
  4. a moon surface micro-
  5. Cotton and potatoes
  6. They are both
  7. They could
  8. difficult conditions
  1. are growing
  2. seeds
  3. on the moon
  4. agency
  5. grow
  6. ecological circle
  7. the far side
  8. small

Paragraph 2

  1. Researchers want to understand
  2. plants grow in
  3. our future survival
  4. They could start a space
  5. Fruit flies and yeast are
  6. The plants will
  7. food for the
  8. dead
  1. make oxygen
  2. in space
  3. plants
  4. how
  5. fruit flies
  6. space
  7. base
  8. part of the project

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Plants are growing (1) ___________________ side of the moon. China's (2) ___________________ showed photos (3) ___________________ growing. It is (4) __________________ "moon surface micro-ecological circle". Cotton and potatoes are growing. They (5) ___________________ and strong. They could grow in the difficult conditions (6) ___________________.

Researchers (7) ___________________ how plants grow in space. His team (8) ___________________ our future survival in space. They could (9) ___________________ base. Fruit flies and yeast are part (10) ___________________. The plants will make oxygen and (11) ___________________ fruit flies; the yeast could change the (12) ___________________ more food.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Plantsaregrowingonthefarsideofthemoon.China'sspaceagencyshow
edphotosofcottonseedsgrowing.Itispartofa"moonsurfacemicro-e
cologicalcircle".Cottonandpotatoesaregrowing.Theyarebothsmalla
ndstrong.Theycouldgrowinthedifficultconditionsonthemoon.Resear
cherswanttounderstandhowplantsgrowinspace.Histeamislookingat
ourfuturesurvivalinspace.Theycouldstartaspacebase.Fruitfliesandy
eastarepartoftheproject.Theplantswillmakeoxygenandfoodforthefr
uitflies;theyeastcouldchangethedeadplantsintomorefood.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Back to the top

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You